Sunday 5 April 2015

Foundry Photojournalism Workshop | Bali 2015

You'll have the time of your life. That's it...a few simple words that sums it all up.

In my view, this is the best photojournalism workshop for the advancement of emerging photographers/photojournalists, already emerging ones, established ones, mature ones and veterans.

Mind you, it's not only the phenomenal experience of working cheek to jowl with some of the best and selfless photographers-instructors in existence such as Maggie Steber, Ron Haviv, John Stanmeyer, Matt Black, Thorne Anderson, James Whitlow Delano, David Storey, Michael Robinson-Chavez, Andrea Bruce, Kael Alford, Adriana Zehbrauskas, Henrik Kastenskov, Paula Bronstein, Claire Rosen and Neal Jackson....but it's also enhancing your craft by rubbing shoulders with other participants, whether peers, or just starting their photography careers, or veterans, and with all sorts of other styles of image-making....it's also about augmenting your exposure to different worlds, about exposing yourselves to divergent thought processes, to varying points of view, and in doing so... grow as human beings (and yes, as photographers too).

It was a little over 7 years ago when I received an email from Eric Beecroft inviting me to join as faculty member the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop which was still be established, and that would take place in Mexico City. It was 2008... and the workshop has been going from strength to strength since then, holding annual events in Mexico City, Manali, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, Sarajevo, La Antigua...and now Ubud, Bali.

I was (and am) privileged to have been chosen among the thousands of photographers who are certainly more deserving than I am to be part of the faculty, especially as I'm a travel photographer rather than a conflict -or otherwise- photojournalist.

My involvement in the Foundry since its inception, meeting and viewing the work of my fellow instructors, as well as that of the students, has inspired a shift in my travel photography trajectory...and caused an evolutionary progress in my way of seeing...from the narrow focus on stock travel photography to a more documentary type of travel photography.

This is my take on the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop...honest, unbiased, and straight.

So join and you'll see I'm right.

REI | De Las Flores

REI by Tewfic El-Sawy on on Exposure